Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an integrated circuit, and, more particularly, to an integrated circuit with an electrostatic discharge protection circuit.
Description of the Related Art
In the development of the semiconductor manufacturing process, the dimensions of semiconductor elements have reached the sub-micron level, upgrading the performance and computational speed of integrated circuits. As dimensions shrink, the reliability and capability of electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of integrated circuits decline significantly. When the dimensions are reduced with the developed manufacture process, the capability of ESD protection is seriously lowered, which causes the ESD tolerance of the elements to become degraded. Thus, an ESD protection circuit is provided to provide a discharge path for electrostatic charges. Particularly, how an ESD protection circuit can quickly provide a discharge path is an important issue.